WC break + derby cliche = overdue stalemate?
Blackburn Rovers host Preston North End in a Lancashire derby in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Saturday afternoon.
The match may be seen as something of a preamble to England taking on France in the World Cup quarter-final later on in the day, but the majority of supporters will be welcoming back Championship action and resuming with a local derby will galvanise both supporter bases.
Both of these sides have been very tough to read this season and have been unsustainably overperforming in certain areas.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men sit third after 21 outings, five points clear of ninth-placed PNE, demonstrating how evenly matched the second tier is at the moment.
Background
Ben Brereton-Diaz will be one to watch having enjoyed an excellent first part of the season, and the Chilean appears destined for a Premier League move in January, particularly if Rovers fall away from the automatic promotion race, as is expected to happen.
North End began the season being very tight at the back, but whilst also being wasteful in the final third, culminating in a mid table position, but Ryan Lowe’s men will be optimistic about their chances of launching a sustained play-off bid.
There is an opportunity here to pounce on some value, in a selection I would never normally tip up.
The World Cup break makes this one even more of a leveller, and the sides are very evenly matched in looking into the numbers, and outside of Brereton-Diaz, the individual talent in both squads.
Remarkably, Rovers have not drawn a single league match this season, two games away from the season’s halfway stage, that is unsustainable, and a juicy price to kickstart the return of the second tier could be an exciting way to go, sticking with a responsible staking plan as always.
Goals?
It is a cliche, but often rings true, form goes out the window in a derby game, and even more so after both sides have not played for a while, so I am taking an outright play rather than a goals angle in this match.
Rovers have scored in seven of ten.
Rovers have conceded in six of ten.
Rovers have seen both teams score in three of ten.
Rovers have seen over 2.5 goals in five of ten.
PNE have scored in nine of ten.
PNE have conceded in seven of ten.
PNE have seen both teams score in six of ten.
PNE have seen over 2.5 goals in six of ten.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
4-1 North End, a sobering afternoon for Blackburn.